Herman Melville Park

Herman Melville Park is a private pocket park owned by the Lansingburgh Historical Society located along the Hudson River southwest of the intersection of 1st Avenue and 114th Street.

Photo of cabinet maker’s or carpenter’s shop town down for Herman Melville Park

READY SITE FOR MINI-PARK—The Lansingburgh Historical Society is demolishing the two-story frame structure at 535 1st Ave., directly across from the society’s new home, to make way for the proposed Herman Melville Park along the riverbank. According to Benjamin M. Romp, society president, landscaping will begin in the spring. Title to the long-vacant building was conveyed by the City of Troy to the society with the understanding that the structure would be demolished and a park created by the society.

“EYESORE YIELDS TO PARK-The barn [sic] in the above picture will soon be replaced by a riverfront park, thanks to efforts of the local Historical Society.” Lansingburgh Voice. January 1973. [Shop, not barn.]

The Meeting of the Lansingburgh Historical Society at the Melville House held on Sept 19th 1973

The 2004 Melville Park total project cost (which was only one of a number of projects in the plan) was roughly equal to the base salary, bonuses, and nontaxable benefits for RPI’s President in 2015 (not including the President’s deferred compensation). It’s unclear where money for all the plans could possibly have been found!